Channing Tatum Said Fatherhood Initially Scared Him

Channing Tatum is an American actor known for his performance in movies like "Step Up," "21 Jump Street," "Magic Mike," and several others. The actor took a five-year hiatus and is set to return with the release of "Dog." The movie is also his (co) directional debut.

The 41-year-old married Jenna Dewan in 2009; however, things didn't work out as they hoped. The couple split in 2018 and released a joint statement talking about the divorce. While married, the couple had a daughter named Everly and had 50-50 custody time upon their divorce.

In a recent interview, Tatum talked about his time with his daughter and the hardship he faced. The actor mentioned that he worried about being able to handle things a mother would normally do. The effort eventually paid off in the end, and the actor was able to connect to his daughter.

Tatum appeared in a VMAN interview with his co-star Jonah Hill from "21 Jump Street" and talked about how he coped with parenting after his divorce. The actor got married to Jenna Dewan in 2009 after meeting on the set of "Step Up." The couple split in 2018 amid rumors of infidelity and hard times, but they put them to rest in a joint statement.

In his Friday interview, Channing mentioned that navigating fatherhood was one of the scariest things he had to face after his split with his wife. He said, "I know that I liked to act and play make-believe and magical things, but I just didn't know if I was going to be able to meet her on her level, especially now that I'm a single dad."

The actor also said he was afraid of not being able to handle things a mother would do. "I was doubly afraid," he revealed. "Was I going to be able to do any of the stuff that a mother should do? That a mother, as a woman, can relate to her as?"

The "Step Up" star didn't spend a lot of time struggling with fatherhood. He got the hang of it eventually and really connected to his daughter. Via The Hollywood Reporter, he said, "And then as that journey unfolded, I realized that all I really had to do was just go into her world and do whatever that is that she wanted to do."

In a 2020 interview with Parents, Tatum talked about his initial fear of fatherhood and his time as a girl dad. "When I became a single father, I had a lot of fear about connecting to Everly in every way that a little girl might want," he said.

"I didn't wear nail polish or know how to braid hair. But now, I do both. I jumped with both feet into this magical world," the actor continued. "And I was rewarded with a kind of life that I don't think I would have ever been able to have otherwise."

Tatum's time as a single father paid off. The actor released his first children's book, "The One and Only Sparkella" in May 2021. The book was dedicated to his daughter and is the first of the book series.

Tatum announced the book release on Instagram and talked about the incident that inspired the book. He detailed being locked up in his daughter's room during the quarantine and "finding [his] inner child." "The One and Only Sparkella" was written entirely during the pandemic.

The book was illustrated by Kim Barnes. The official description of the book said it was "a charming ode to self-esteem and the love between a father and daughter." According to the book's synopsis, the main character, Ella expressed herself by putting on glittery and eye-catching clothes. However, the attention-grabbing look made her a target of bullies.

Tatum told Parents, "Just like Sparkella, Evie loves to play tricks, wear crazy outfits and be different from everyone. She's bold, beautiful, and magical in every way. We played a lot in her room over quarantine, and it helped flesh out the story." The second book is titled "The One and Only Sparkella Makes A Plan" and will be released in May.

Several rumors swirled about the famous couple's divorce, but their released statement mentioned that it was a mutual decision and they were still on good terms. According to Elle, they wrote, "There are no secrets nor salacious events at the root of our decision—just two best-friends realizing it's time to take some space and help each other live the most joyous, fulfilled lives as possible."

They also said they would always remain a family and carry out their responsibilities as "loving dedicated" parents to their daughter, Everly. The couple moved on from each other by dating different people and even getting engaged on Dewan's end.